Sleep Well, Little Owl
by Syberian
Summary: "The one day he decided to actually fall asleep in the compound of the Crimson Raider HQ, someone had climbed into his bunk with him, whether it be accidental or purposeful, and had fallen asleep holding him." Slowly forming Zer0/Athena. Chapter 9 released/Taking Chapter ideas as well. Reviews appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

The figure behind him was undoubtedly feminine. The body shape was too curvaceous to be a man. The arm, that was slunk across his chest, was too small to be male also, not robust enough to hold the muscles that men normally had. Her height overall gave away that she was female, unless it was Salvador pulling a trick. But Zer0 knew it wasn't, the clues clearly deducted that whoever was holding him was a female. But who?

The one day he decided to actually fall asleep in the compound of the Crimson Raider HQ, someone had climbed into his bunk with him, whether it be accidental or purposeful, and had fallen asleep holding him.

Initially, he was tensed and set off at the slightest move of the arm around his chest, waiting for a digistructed knife to be pulled out. But whoever it was who held him just held them close to them, fitting her body into his slightly curled form. A small snore escaped her every once in a while; no doubt she had fallen into a deep sleep. Any chance of movement from him would entice the arm around him to hold him tighter to the point where he thought his ribs would crack from the strength. He couldn't turn around or look down as the arm would simply tighten around him to hold him on place or she would not let him move. Zer0 was frustrated. He was used to being able to move around, not confined to one place for too long without concentration. But the snoring, the warm feeling of another body pressed against his back, and the fact that his heightened senses simply did not let him fall asleep like this, made it impossible to concentrate and fall asleep in hopes that whoever held him would be gone when he woke up.

Zer0 couldn't even wake her up either. Any attempt to shake her awake simply led to his ribs becoming more potent to cracking. Any attempts to reach behind him to push her off made her move closer, clearly not wanting to leave him. Any attempts to move out of her arms led to, as previously stated, his ribs becoming more potent to crack and a less of a chance to escape. His ECHO recorder was across the room on the couch so he had no chance of grabbing it to call up one of the Vault Hunters who were out. He was only allowed to simply lay there and become this woman's "cuddle toy".

Speaking of "this woman". Who was she?

Maya?

_Couldn't be, she's out/ Currently raiding a camp/ Krieg is with her, too._

That deducted Maya from the equation. Zer0 doubted she even had to strength to hold such a strong grip on him, but he didn't doubt her siren powers giving her a helpful hand in it. Besides, if Zer0 knew the Psycho, Krieg simply would not leave her alone for more than 10 minutes without him being at her side. There was something special that glinted in the large, robust insane man's eyes whenever he spotted the young Siren. Love, perhaps? Most likely.

Then could it be Lilith?

_Her? A thing for me?/ No. She has a thing for Brick/ She speaks nice of him._

Both Sirens were deducted then. It was true that Lilith could be the person holding him, but she didn't exactly 'like' him that _way_. The two of them were close yes, but not to the point where emotions would play a part in it. Lilith even confided in him that she enjoyed Brick's company, and liked him. Maybe even _loved_ him. So it could not be Lilith.

Gaige, perhaps?

_She's out with Deathtrap/ I doubt she has enough strength, too/ She couldn't hold me._

The young adult- only 18- was currently a bright young woman. However, she showed no direct interest in him before, so that left her out of the equation. Unless she was holding him with her robot arm, which the arm that currently held him pulsed with heat and warmth, there was no way she would be able to hold him this tightly.

Then, maybe, Tannis?

_No._

The... vibrant woman was certainly knowledgeable in many categories. However, Zer0 knew that she wasn't good with physical interaction and wouldn't dare do _this_ without hesitations in a large degree. Yes, she had asked about his anatomy and which species he was and such, but he knew that she never wanted this sort of _relationship_ with him. Not that he minded of course.

Who could be left then? Moxxi was out at Ellie's in an attempt to mend the break in their relationship. Almost no Sanctuary citizens approached him, unless they were asking him questions in a drunken stupor. Then who could it-

The arm loosened and slid itself down to his stomach before resting its hand over his stomach plates. Zer0 could move slightly now, and he took his chance. He turned him head around to try take a look at the woman who had held him against her for the past few hours. Only when he was barely up was the arm suddenly back around his chest and holding him against his will once again.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit/ Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit/ Shit, shit, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!_

So close, but so far away of course. Zer0's curiosity was truly getting the best of him now as his thoughts wondered once again to whom was holding him. He began to think of the way she was holding him.

The arm was strewn across his chest was no doubt in a protective, possessive manner. It was muscular as well, scars lain across the surface of the tanned skin from what Zer0's peripheral vision allowed him to see. The fingers splayed across his chest to allow her to push him against her easier. He couldn't see past her wrist as the darkness of the room didn't allow it. She had molded her body against his, forming it into his rested form. Her face was pressed in between his shoulder blades, forehead resting across the nape of his neck. Knees were barely touching the back of his thighs.

_She's short._

He was abnormally tall, but she was much shorter than him. A foot? Maybe even more.

_Well it is something/ To go on with this name game/ But it barely helps._

As he continued to draw this woman in his mind, he continued down to her legs. Her bottom leg was laying flat against the bed whereas the other was resting across his own in a possessive manner. Her body language told him that she did not want him to move, it was a simply explanation. There were multiple theories as to why:

She didn't want him to move, possible her instincts told her that she had to hold onto him so that he wouldn't be in danger. Almost in a motherly, or sibling-like, manner. Her arms and legs would definitely suggest this as they were locking him in place, making it close to impossible for movement to come from him.

She was worried and kept him close so that she could keep an eye on him. Again, her limbs would suggest this and also her head placement. Placed across his upper back and lower neck, she had access to arms so that he could not simply push her away. An undeniably theory, but with holes in it.

Or she could've just simply gotten into the wrong bunk and passed out before realizing her mistake. Accidentally holding onto him like a plush doll.

_Hmm..._

The arm moved again. Stretching her whole arm across his chest to get a better grip in holding him. More scars, more tanned skin. Same old, same- What is this?

A black tattoo shaped like an... owl? Which woman in Sanctuary, or all of Pandora, had a tattoo shaped like a strange, deformed owl?

Zer0's thoughts raced. The woman wasn't from Sanctuary, he would've recognized her. She couldn't be from the surrounding areas, it was too cold for the sun to properly tan her skin to this amount. She was a traveler, but she was here for a reason. Perhaps captured by the Raide-

It popped into his head quickly. If he could see his mask, there would probably be a red '!' on it.

This woman was none other than Athena, the Gladiatrix the Raiders had hunted down and captured. He had seen her a few times around Sanctuary since the halt in her execution by the mysterious Eridian. She was a mature, serious young woman. Undoubtedly, a haunted past that she refused to talk about. A worthy opponent for any enemy. A beautiful maiden who refused to acknowledge her own beaut- What is he thinking?

He shook his head and continued to think about why she was holding him.

Could it be she possibly just slipped into his bunk on accident? It was quite possibly, he rarely saw her sleep in the few weeks she had been here. The few times he did, it was quick 15-30 minute rest and she was back on her feet quick as a flash.

But why the possessive arm and leg placement? He couldn't place that, unless it had something to do with her past. But he knew she wouldn't dare talk about that to anyone- no less him.

He could possibly try to wake her up now, maybe hearing her name would rouse her from her slumber.

"Athena,"

No response other than a slight snore.

"Athena?"

A slight mumbling from his neck and a tighter, but undeniably gentler, hold on his chest.

"Athena..."

A nuzzle against the leather plates on the back of his neck and with that she seemed to be in a deeper slumber than before.

He let out a frustrated groan and settled back against the mattress, finally allowing himself to be willingly held by this woman. Ironic how he, the assassin, was being forced to stay still against his will by her, an ex-assassin. He almost chuckled at this thought, before his eyes began to stray around the room.

His ECHO recorder was still placed in the exact spot as it was before: on the couch. However, as he looked closely he could see another ECHO recorder, alongside a small pile of rusty red colored, weathered armor plating. There was a shoulder guard, a piece of flexible metal to wrap around someone's thigh, combat boots, a black glove, a dark gray glove with a large,red contraption connected to the wrist, and a flexible leather chest-guard. If only he had been paying more attention to his surroundings he would've caught on quicker to whom his holder was.

Speaking of surroundings...

He looked outside and saw it was close to evening time, perhaps it was about 41 hours into Pandora's day cycle before the 46 hours of night would come. It was strange how Pandora had a 92 hour day/night cycle and Zer0 still couldn't get used to the long days and nights. A good time to go to sleep no less.

He heard more mumbling behind him, before Athena nuzzled her face once again into the back of his neck.

He sighed and accepted his fate.

Zer0 hoped she would wake soon.

There was explaining to do on her part.

**Author's Note****: Should I make a Chapter 2? This is based off a headcanon that I created on my blog (you can go see that and others if you want) and I thought it would make a nice story. Thanks for reading.**

**Update 11/19: Fixed grammar mistakes and added a few extra words in.**


	2. Chapter 2

Thirty hours.

Thirty _fucking_ hours of lying perfectly still.

It must've been almost half the way done with Pandora's night cycle and the young Gladiatrix was still snoring against his back, arms tight around him, sleeping soundly. How she managed to sleep so long was beyond Zer0. He could barely manage to sleep for 5 hours without waking up. However, here she was.

Zer0's limbs had long since fallen asleep due to the inactivity of them. His arms tingled whenever Athena's grasp grew tighter or softened. If she accidentally brushed them while trying to get a better grip on his chest it felt as if someone was penetrating needles against his flesh. His legs weren't any better. Sometimes she would move her own leg further down or up in an attempt to be more comfortable, unaware of the painful effect she was placing on him. Luckily, his torso hadn't fallen asleep or else it would be in more pain due to her constant changes in how she held him. Athena probably factored into why his whole chest and stomach area weren't dead asleep, like his limbs, due to her movements while, she herself was, asleep. Zer0 had given up trying to keep his limbs awake when he realized that she probably wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.

Not that that bothered him much. He actually found solace in the feeling of being held. It calmed him, surprisingly. To feel arms wrapped tight around him, body warmth being shared with him, someone trying to keep him from moving actually brought him comfort. Though she was asleep, Zer0 could tell Athena enjoyed holding him. Sometimes a soft sigh would escape her lips before she moved closer in an attempt to feel his body held by her arms. Her face nuzzled in between his shoulder blades every now and again, sending shivers up his spine and across his back. Athena's other arm had joined the first in holding his chest at about the 17 hour mark. Now, if he tried hard enough, he felt a heartbeat against his middle back. No doubt her's, who's else would it be? It was slow, methodical, and overall gave a sense of serenity. It also reminded Zer0 that this woman, who had almost single-handedly taken down an entire gun manufacturing corporation, this woman who had opened a Vault on the moon of Pandora, this woman who had played a hand in bringing Jack into power, was also human.

It was strange if you thought about it, how a human being could do so much. Athena was proof of it. Raised up in the corporation she destroyed, she became the top operative of the Lance. He didn't know why, she never mentioned the reason for it to the original Vault Hunters or him and his friends, but she decided to take down the corporation. Soon after, she became a hired gun, needing money for food. She accepted a job offer from Jack, a low programmer in Hyperion at the time, and opened the Vault the Elpis. Of course, along the way she also brought Jack into power and helped create many of the Hyperion bots that Zer0 and his friends fought daily. Constructors, EXP Loaders, GUN Loaders, many of them had her hand in making. But no matter what, he still had a deep-founded respect for her. She was desperate, he would probably make the same choice if it were him. She made mistakes, yes, but she couldn't be blamed for it all.

A strange sound came from her mouth before she pulled him back and pushed herself forward in an attempt to create less space between them.

_Adorable._

Wait what? He could not be thinking of this right now. So he pushed it off to the back of his mind, instead focusing on finding the serene heartbeat placed against his back.

It took him a few moments, but eventually he found it. It was going slightly faster now. Could she be possibly having a nightmare? It would be logical as she held him tight and securely as if he were an anchor in her dreams. Another movement from her shot prickly needles throughout his left arm and he choked back a groan.

Zer0 looked down at the arm which had caused his pain, dangerously, as if it was watching him stare. The tanned, muscular skin was thick in scars. Similar to never explaining her past, Athena never gave an explanation to why she was so heavily laden with scars. Some were jagged and thick, as if caused by a rusty knife. Others were thin and straight, almost like it was done purposefully with precise accuracy. Zer0 could sometimes catch flecks of triangular shaped scars shaped across her upper arm and sometimes her neck whenever she wore her scarf down. Most likely shrapnel from an explosion blast, possibly a grenade. Definitely badges of a warrior. He would know, he probably had as many scars as she did.

The arm stiffened, as he was in deep thought, and suddenly tightened around his chest to the point where he could barely breath. Zer0 choked out a gasp and had to control himself from not breaking her arm right there to escape her grip. The heartbeat against his back was suddenly erratic, her breathing quick and uneven, her body slightly shaking. He couldn't see her, but he would sure she was covered in a cold sweat.

_A nightmare. Poor girl/ She has to fight this one now/ Or else she'll wake up._

It took a few minutes before Athena calmed down. She let out a groan and loosened her grip on his chest, allowing his lungs access to breath. She began to breath in deep, erratic breaths before she calmed down and her breathing became shallow and light again. Her heartbeat softened down to its original slow tempo.

_She's calmed down now, good/ She almost cut off my air/ She has a strong grip._

Zer0 began to wonder what her nightmare was about.

Curiously, Zer0 suddenly began to turn around. He had attempted it before, but her arms had stopped him in his place. His arms and legs screeched in protest as needles pricked his skin over and over in an attempt to cause him enough pain to stop him. This did not deter him however, and he managed to fully turn around in her grasp, surprised that she didn't try to stop him like usual.

What he saw slightly shocked him.

Athena only wore the red and black shirt that was underneath her vest and chest-guard along with her dark gray, weathered pants. Her scarf was probably placed in the pile of armor so that it would not scratch at her neck uncomfortably during sleep. Her mouth was slightly parted as she breathed in and out. Her black-blue hair was fanned across her face, some of it getting in her eyes while she slept. A small sheen of sweat was on her forehead, causing some of her locks to be stuck. There was no doubt that she had fallen back into a peaceful sleep, as shown with how she was breathing calmly and collectively. But the aftermath of the nightmare was still apparent also, as shown when her body would sometimes let out a shake, as if scared.

Zer0 gently lifted his hand and brushed her hair out of her eyes and off her forehead, tucking it behind her ear. He took a good look at her face. A small scar underneath her chin and, as he expected, a small series of visible triangular shaped flecks across her neck leading over to her right shoulder. Her red lips slightly parted, letting out a hot breath every few seconds. Zer0 suspected that if he leaned in close enough a mist would form on his mask from the hot air. Her eyes were gently closed showing that she was, indeed, asleep. Her forehead and cheeks were covered in a light sheen of sweat that Zer0 could see from the light of the middle table of the command center in the next room.

Zer0 suddenly felt a little anxious. What if she caught him staring at her while she slept? No, that didn't sit well with him. He began to turn around once more, his limbs still barking at him for the movements that they disliked. The arms that had fallen to her sides when he moved were suddenly slithered back across his chest as she pulled him against her.

Same old, same old.

Or was it?

A sudden gurgle noise came from her throat, and her hands curled into fists. Zer0 began to worry that she was having another nightmare, until he heard a moan come from her.

Her leg unwrapped itself from on top of his and returned back to its place by her other. She kept her face hidden in between his shoulder blades as she fought the sleep out of her eyes, arms still tight around his chest.

_She does not realize/ That what she is holding is me/ Hmm, peculiar._

As soon as that thought popped up, her arms and hands stiffened. She slowly spread her fingers apart and began to move her hand across his chest, before stopping over his heart. She kept her hand there, breathing hitched.

Eventually she unwrapped her arms around his chest and sat up, placing her elbows on her knees as she faced away from the prone assassin.

"Who are you?"

Zer0 wasn't very surprised. He had ran this scenario in his mind over and over again while she slept.

"Zer0, don't worry/ You fell asleep in my bunk/ While I was inside."

He couldn't see her face, but could tell she was anxious. From what he could see, she was anxiously tapping her index finger and middle finger against her knee, obviously a nervous tic on her part.

"Please, I assure you/ Nothing happened while you slept/ I would not do that."

A moment of silence.

"Okay, I trust you,"

Zer0 suddenly realized he was holding in his breath and let out a sigh of relief. Athena began to get up, the darkened room made it hard for Zer0 to follow her with his eyes so he relied on his hearing to listen to where she was going.

Athena made her way over to the doorway leading to the command center and looked out the sky. From the light shining from the room, Zer0 could clearly see her stout figure in the doorway, looking out towards the balcony. She let out an unimpressed noise and walked back over to the bunk where she sat down on the edge.

"I'm sorry that I slept in your bunk while you were in it," she apologized.

"It's fine Athena/ You hadn't any control/ While you were asleep."

She nodded and leaned her back against the wall, closing her eyes while she did so. Zer0 eventually sat up and began to rub his forearms in an attempt to wake them up. Athena seemed to notice.

"What happened?"

"You held onto me/ For so long, my arms and legs/ Fell asleep, sadly."

"Rub your arms up and down, it helps get the blood into them faster,"

He did as suggested and soon he had feeling back in his arms.

_Don't forget, she had a nightmare_.

Zer0 looked up at her face, partially glowing in the light. She was staring at the doorway, looking out from the balcony in the sky. Her silver eyes darkened from the lack of light to a dark grey, intimidating no less.

"You had a nightmare/ You don't mind, do you? If I/ Ask about it, please?"

Athena leaned forward, eyes betraying that she was deep in thought. They quickly flashed over towards where he small pile of armor was before returning to gaze straight ahead.

"I do not mean to-"

"I dreamed about killing my sister again," she interrupted him.

A bright red light flashed upon her face, no doubt from his mask signalling a '!' to appear. It went away before returning again, probably a '...' or '?' this time.

"I... see."

It was quiet for a while, no words being spoken. No movements attempted to be made. No sounds except for the ones that were outside in the city of Sanctuary.

"You know... it's funny," Athena finally spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"I thought that I was okay with what happened. Killing my sister on accident. I guess my own guilty conscious got the best of me. I try not to think too much about how I just... killed her. I miss her, even though I only knew her for a few weeks. She reminded me that, "Hey, you aren't as alone as you think you are." Now she's gone, been gone for almost 5 years now that I think about it. Nothing dulls the pain, but I try to find ways to,"

Zer0 felt something tug in his chest. Was this... sympathy? He could sense the guilt flooding off of her, even though the only thing that betrayed this emotion was her eyes. They were pained, as if lost in a hazy memory that she wished to have forgotten.

Something overthrew his logical thinking. Maybe it was the sympathy he was feeling before, maybe it was something _deeper_, but he reached forward, grabbed her shoulders and engulf her in an awkward hug.

He wasn't used to physical contact, despite spending almost 30 hours being previously held by her, but he made an exception. _For her_. Her arms were trapped between her body and his chest before, just as awkward as he did,she wrapped around his torso. It took a few moments before they finally released each other.

"You are not alone."

Athena gave him a small,genuine smile, perhaps the first he had seen her having one, and nodded in thanks. She got up off the bunk, causing it to squeal, and went over to the couch. Grabbing her pieces of armor, piece-by-piece she put them on with deft fingers as if she had been doing it her entire life. When she got done, she quickly wrapped the scarf around her shoulders, not yet pulling it over her head to use as a makeshift hood, before awkwardly turning towards Zer0, who had finally sat up on the bed as he attempted to bring the blood rushing back to his aching forelegs and feet. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Zer0 barely managed to look up at her before a pair of lips was placed on the side of his visor, where his right cheek would be.

"Thank you... for not waking me up, and for what you said," she mumbled quickly before turning around and exiting the room by the stairwell, going downstairs into Tannis' office.

A shock feeling ran through Zer0 as he attempted to process what just happened. A smile graced his lips and he turned to face the balcony, seeing the Pandoran moon, Elpis, shine through.

Athena was interesting.

Interesting, indeed.

**Author's Note: I got so much overwhelming support from Chapter 1, that I decided to take a few hours out of today to work on this. You can totally tell I ship Zer0 and Athena now, I suppose. Athena is still awkward as ever when it comes to **_**looove**_**. Anyways, thanks for reading.**

**Update 11/20: Fixed grammatical mistakes and added words.**


	3. Chapter 3

The feeling that tugged at his chest had become exotic and alien to him. It wasn't that he wasn't used to it, it was more so the fact that he wasn't used to conveying it. It tugged at his chest and it seemed to make his heart pump fast to the point where he could feel it thumping against his ribs. Even the feeling of his heart pumping wasn't exotic or alien taking into context that this was usually when a battle was on and the adrenaline in his veins took over his natural senses of fight or flight. But the way it was being conveyed was almost a definite foreign as he held Athena in his arms while she slept an unpeaceful sleep.

Zer0 felt bad for her. That was it. The tug in his chest and the wildly thumping of his heart was sympathy for the woman who had fallen into a distressful sleep. He never felt bad for someone; it simply wasn't his lifestyle to have sympathy or empathy for a person. Especially for enemies of the Raiders, even if they were turncoats. However, it seemed his own oath, which he pounded into his head multiple times, seemed to crack under the pressure of this woman's past life with the Lance.

He didn't know why, or how, but she was allowed to go visit a grave in a village. More specifically, a burnt down village. The rains of Pandora had washed away the ashes to the point where the ground was a constant soggy dark gray and the, previously, burned down houses were wet and stunk of smoke. In the middle of the once, as Zer0 expected, beautiful and peaceful village was a small grave with a sloppily placed rock in use of a headstone. He had found Athena there, slumped to her knees, nearly in tears as she reached out and placed a hand on the worn-out rock.

He had managed to reach out and grab her shoulder before she eventually broke down in tears. It was strange to watch such a stoic and stone-faced woman cry in front of a grave, but he wouldn't exactly know since he had never cried before. Her shoulders shook and her arms wobbled as she struggled to calm down. Eventually, Zer0 did what he expected himself to do. He got down on his knees and placed himself next to her.

He wasn't a master when it came to dealing with emotions, but he knew when someone needed another to be there to help. It was clearly his job to be that 'someone' that was there to help. Athena had placed her head on his shoulder, whether it be instinctively or purposeful, and had cried.

Zer0 took his time to look at the headstone to see what she was sobbing about. What he looked at shocked him.

_Jess_

_A sister._

It was carved, in neat letters, into the stone. It was a grave. It was a grave for Athena's _sister_. Athena's _dead sister_.

As he pondered over it, the tug inside his chest became even stronger.

Athena had went to visit her sister's grave. In the middle of a burned-down village.

Now that Zer0 thought about it, he remembered that she had mentioned accidently killing her sister. It would explain the emotional breakdown at the foot of the grave and possibly why the whole village was burnt-down.

He understood why she had to have an emotional breakdown. The build-up of all the depression, anxiety, and stress had been too much for her to handle to the point where it boiled over and had caused tears to streak down her face.

"She needed this bad/ An emotional cleansing/ I hope she feels fine."

Though Athena was asleep, it seemed she heard him as shown when she attempted to move closer. This act itself caused Zer0 to look down at the worn-out warrior.

She had shed all of her armor and her scarf, sloppily placed by the door of the house they had "renovated" for the night cycle. She had also, to Zer0's surprise, had taken off the red and black shirt that she usually had on to reveal the black tanktop underneath. Her breathing was fast, goosebumps were layered all over her skin, and a small sheen of sweat had formed across her neck and her forehead. A clear sign of bad dreams and nightmares. Her grip fluxated from tight, to the point of bone-cracking, to soft and wanting to be held, as shown when she moved closer just a moment ago.

This time it was Zer0's turn to hold her. To contribute to the comfort that she had given him when she accidently fell asleep in his bunk a few weeks ago. To show that he was here for her in case she had woken up in a screaming daze, clearly shaken from her own plaguing memories. She had already done so a few times early that night, but had soon fallen back to sleep as she sensed his arms around her and his voice telling her to sleep.

By now, it seemed the nightmares were starting to shake off and she had fallen into a semi-peaceful sleep. Her arms and shoulders still shook slightly, despite the thick blankets that were piled on the both of them. Her breathing was still slightly fast and her grip remained a firm message: Don't move.

Zer0 took this as a moment to look down at her face and brush a few stuck strands of hair off her forehead and around her ear. He re-literated this multiple times throughout the time to himself, but it was strange to see this stoic woman cry. She always remained serious, never seeming to let down her mask.

Metaphorically, of course. She didn't have a mask to begin with, so possibly a better word would've been her hood. Speaking of her hood...

Zer0 took a moment to lift his head from its previous place across the top of her head and look across the house to her pile of battle-worn armor and the scarf that was draped across all of it. It was true that Athena had previously told him that the scarf was the only possession of her sister's that she had.

"Always recalling/ Never forgetting that scene/ She's unforgotten."

A small whimper came from her and she buried her face underneath his chin, across the dip in his neck. He was aware of how her knees barely reached the middle of his thighs and how her arms were wrapped across his midsection.

It was different, being held from the front. It allowed Zer0 to hold her as well, but was nonetheless entertaining to see her reactions as well. He experimented with loosening his grip on her only for her to tighten her grip on him. He held her tighter and she scooted closer. Certainly something you didn't see from an ex-assassin for sure. But, something you also didn't see from a current assassin as well.

Why was he doing this?

_Sympathy of course/ I feel horrible for her/ She needs to be held._

However, here he was. Here **he** was. No one else. Zer0 had decided to follow her alone after seeing her slightly distressed upon entering the Fast Travel station, alone. Anyone else could've done it, but hell. Here he was being her "cuddle toy" once more as she slept. But, strangely he had voluntarily allowed it as well.

He had previously talked to Moxxi about it. This "feeling" of awkwardness that came between the two whenever they talked about private matters. While the conversations were between far and few, he found a certain spark of shyness evolve slowly across the skin in his neck and face. As the bar-owner had explained it, it was a "crush". With more explanation, it seemed that Zer0 "had the hots" for Athena. Whatever that meant...

While he didn't mention the "sleeping incident", as he liked to call it, he began to notice a few changes in Athena's body language as well. She seemed more open to conversations and began to use hand gestures to emphasize her point as well. She seemed more open to talk about private matters: her life growing up (though these details were still vague), her journey after annihaliting the Atlas Corporation, and even her journey on Elpis (leaving out the details of Jack's employment of her, however). She had grown closer to him, becoming more comfortable with talking to him.

Similar to how Zer0 had as well. He was more comfortable with talking much more around her, more than what he usually did. He was "okay" with talking about his past jobs and how he helped bring the downfall of Jack. It seemed that he had grown a place in his heart for Athena.

To the point where he had allowed her to get under his skin. Metaphorically.

His mask, breastplate, and gloves were shed and placed, neatly, next to her red armor. Zer0 had decided this after she had fallen asleep in an attempt to be more comfortable, seeing as how Athena would probably be sleeping for quite a while. He didn't mind being this... bare to her, though she was asleep and didn't sense the misplaced armor on him.

The warm touch of her arms across his bare torso was enough to send sparks up and down his spine and across his shoulders. This lasted only for a while before it eventually dulled and vanished. Her face, buried in the dip of his neck, constantly sent slow, hot breaths across his sensitive skin. Her hair tickled his nose to the point where his eyes were watering and he struggled to stop from sneezing.

But it was nice to not have to worry about people taking his mask off while he slept or rested. It was nice to hold his woman, whom he had apparently grown feelings for, in his arms while she rested. It was nice to not be placed as a sadistic killer and to just forget about that for a few hours.

It was nice...

Of course, he would need an explanation himself, once again, when she woke up about the village and her sister's grave.

But for the first time on Pandora to him, it was nice.

Athena mumbled sluggishly in her sleep before turning around in his arms. Her back was now pressed against his chest. Zer0 rested one arm across her stomach and the other was, with some effort, placed under her head in the use of a pillow. Athena let out a contented sigh before grabbing his arm with her own in an attempt to trap him there.

_Yes. This is very nice._

**Author's Note: Surprise? Thanks for readin'.**

**Update 12/1: Fixed grammar and added details.**


	4. Chapter 4

He fucked up.

He fucked up _really, really, really_ badly.

He just couldn't believe that _he_, the Pandoran renown assassin with a heart of ice and a blade of steel, managed to fall asleep.

It probably didn't seem like such a bad idea to his tired, groggy mind at the time. The mix of the warmth of the ventilated shack, Athena's warm body pressed against his chest, and the bullymong fur blankets that covered the both of them had been enough to cause his mind to go into a state of drowsiness. Then, it was the rhythmic beat of her heart that he felt through her back into his chest was what probably finally did him in. It was just too peaceful and he became vulnerable enough to give into it.

Sleeping had never been much of a problem for him. Most of the time, the noises and lights of Sanctuary had caused his mind to be alert and focused. The few times that he did take a rest were far and few between; his body had long since gotten use to the lack of sleep to the point where sleeping in general barely lasted more than a couple of hours. It wasn't a healthy lifestyle, but it was one he had adapted to very well.

However, _this_ was something that was clearly unfamiliar to him. For the fact that falling asleep for longer than what his body was normally used to, this was strange to him. But to fall asleep **holding** someone, well it was clearly an improbable situation for him.

If falling asleep holding someone wasn't bad enough, falling asleep holding the woman he apparently "had the hots for" was a dangerous thing to do. Especially if she could kill him with a flick of any wrist, the ambidexterous warrior that she was. What was even worse, is that she had **woken up before him**.

So yes, he had fucked up really, horribly, terribly, tremendously bad.

The first indication was that he felt a hand on his bare torso. It was warm and amused him to feel it, but then it started to roam around, brushing his sides and eventually going back to the middle over his sternum before placing itself slightly to the left over his heart. He hadn't paid much attention up until that point, but the feeling of a mobile limb placed against torso was enough to set his hyperactive senses off. He had waited patiently to test if she would do anything else.

All that came from Athena was a grunt of acknowledgement, and then suddenly the bed springs squeaked giving off the indication that she getting up. At that point, his eyes shot open and his turned to his side and sat at the edge of the bed.

Now here he was: his back was turned away from Athena and he felt her grow still. His elbows were placed on his knees as he leaned over. His face was hidden in his hands as he struggled to keep from jumping up and leaving. His right knee bounced up and down, a clear sign of a nervous tic on him. He gritted his teeth in frustration at his stupidity for allowing his guard down. His hands would occasionally run through his hair as he tried to calm himself down, his growing irritation and disappointment at himself peaking every now and again.

_I am so stupid/ I am really fucking dumb/ I should not have slept!_

With a frustrated groan, Zer0 slammed his fists against to his sides against the bed. He heard her snort behind him before she cleared her throat.

His anger softened into non-existence as he calmed down.

"You do know you snore? Correct?"

He sighed in defeat and placed his chin on top of his hands as he stared at the wall.

"No."

"You managed to wake me up a few times during the night, surprisingly."

He let out a small groan as he learned that she had seen him before he had woken up. His annoyance at himself for sleeping without armor on was returning.

"Sorry."

"Yeah..."

A tension filled silence covered over the two of them like the bullymong fur blanket that they had shared not too long ago. It was uncomfortable, thick, and apparent. The sounds of the creatures of Pandora were streaming from under the door. Skags howling in the distance, the stalkers croaking out their morning calls, and the occasional screech of a thresher as it burrowed under ground before returning to the surface. In the shack they were in, time seemed to stand still.

Finally, Zer0 could not take it anymore and decided to turn his head around to see her. Staying as silent as possible, he turned his head slightly so that he could see her out of his peripheral vision. Athena's back was turned towards him as she leaned over with her elbows placed on her knees in the same position he was in.

"Stop staring, please."

He turned his head back to the wall and let out a sigh. Ths couldn't have gone any better.

"You cuddle a lot/ Whenever you fall asleep/ You do know that? Right?"

"No."

"You do."

"Interesting."

The thick tension that once covered the air between them was fading slowly.

"Well... you're more... uh... blue than I expected. Did you know that?"

He chuckled slightly. Of course she would ask about his appearance, it only seemed natural for the human mind to be constantly curious.

"Cannot say I have/ I suppose I couldn't know/ I cannot read minds."

"Good point."

He looked down at his hands and his chest, conscious of how he would probably look to Athena. His skin was a navy blue with a smooth texture to it. His scars, which littered his body in various forms, were an amethyst color. His eyes were completely black except for the irises being snow white. He had naturally soft, spiky brown hair. Definitely not what most people thought he would look like. Zer0 had heard rumors that people believed he was a robot, an Eridian hybrid, and even a woman in disguise. While he dismissed them all, it was certainly amusing to see the sideways glances at him whenever he walked down to the sidewalk.

Athena broke his thoughts with her clearing her throat. He turned his body slightly to see her and noticed that she was looking at him.

"Thanks for sleeping with me-"

Suddenly, she went red-faced.

"I-I mean thanks for sleeping in the bed with me- I mean, uh-"

She covered her mouth and looked away. Her ears were red from embarrassment and Zer0 struggled to not laugh. With a calm sigh to get the hilarity out of his system, he got up and went over to the other side of the bed. He gently took one of her hands from her face into his.

"I understand."

He brought her knuckles up to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. It didn't help her embarrassment as she quickly took her hand away once he released it and brought it back to her face. Athena then brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in them.

Zer0 took this as a chance to see her in a more vulnerable state. She was akin to a dungeon, built in floors of destruction with a small piece of success in each one that was the doorway. Her mental propoganda was her inability to form social relationships with anyone, relying more solely on the physical relationship of battle and war. The physical relationship was shown through her skin, exhibiting as the consistent pattern of scars that lined her upper back, shoulders, and biceps. Her social relationship was the awkward shyness that came whenever someone tried to make a friendship or even being accomplices with her. Zer0 doubted he would get far in this type of relationship with her; instead he focused more on bringing her out of her "shell", so to speak.

If he had to guess, the fact that she purposely removed all her armor and an article of her clothing had been enough to show that she trusted him. Similar to how she did that to him, he had done the same to her. He had rarely brought his skin out since coming to Pandora and almost never showed it to anyone else. So to prove his previous statement, he had allowed her to take him out of his "shell", or more factual his armor. It was a small step forward, but a large success to see her being more comfortable around his well-being.

"-op staring, please."

He blinked once, twice, three times as he attempted to stop blanking out while look at her. Though he couldn't show any signs of embarrassment to her in the form of physicalness, he was certain feeling a warm rush of blood go up his neck and to his ears and cheeks. It wouldn't show, but if he was human he would most likely be blushing by now.

"My bad."

She nodded at his answer before doing something that would cement his reason to blush even further. She sat straight up, grabbed his upper arm and pulled him down. Within a millisecond, a pair of soft lips were pressed against his cheek. His eyes went wide as Athena kissed his cheek for a few moments before letting go of his arm and getting up.

Zer0 looked down at his feet and lifted a hand to gentle caress the place where she had kissed him at.

"We should probably get back, Lilith is probably having a fit right now."

Zer0 looked up at Athena to see her beginning to put her shirt on. Her arms lifted above her head and caught a brief glimpse of her tanned stomach. Turning his head away towards his pile of armor, he struggled to form words.

"Of course."

He got up and began to deftly strap his breastplate on. He would occasionally turn his head to look at the Gladiatrix, putting her armor on as well, next to him. Quick glances seemed to suffice for him as he continued to put his armor on, now at the gloves. With quick nimble fingers, he had placed his hands inside the cold leather and was about to put his mask on before remembering something.

He placed a hand on Athena's shoulder causing her to look up at him.

"Promise me something/ Keep my appearance secret/ I like privacy."

Reasoning flashed through her eyes, before something akin to embarrassment did as well.

"Only if you- uh. Don't... tell anyone I cried at my sister's grave."

He smiled and nodded before holding his gloved hand.

"Promise?"

She had a slightly amused look on her face before holding out her gloved hand as well.

"Promise."

With a quick shake of their hands, Zer0 quickly put his mask back on. They made their way over to the door to begin their travel back to Sanctuary, hoping that Lilith's rage wouldn't be too harsh for the both of them.

**Author's Note: In celebration of next week being my last week of school (and also my finals week) I decided to update the story again. This may/may not be the last chapter, I do not know. I really like updating this story because I enjoy expanding this little story arc. So tell me, should I make a Chapter 5 in the near future? Thanks for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

Maybe it was the fact that he got shot point-blank with a Bandit shotgun. Or maybe it was the shock of rounding a corner, giving chase to a bandit leader in an attempt to take his life, only to come face to face with the barrel of a shotgun held by a Bruiser. It could've possible even been his overconfidence which tempted him to give chase, only to fall into a well-planned trap and be blown back by the blast. Whatever the reason for his pain, it certainly hurt like hell.

Zer0 was grateful that Lilith had made Athena tag along with him on his mission to clear the settling bandits out of the old Hyperion extraction plant in the Highlands. While he was suspiscious at first with Lilith's choice, it wasn't until he noticed, on the way to the Fast Travel Station, Moxxi was leaning against the doorway of her bar and gave him a sly, barely noticeable wink.

_Shouldn't have told her/ Now she wants to always know/ It was a mistake._

Now here he was, laying on the bed in a shack in the middle of the Highlands in extreme pain. His chest was riddled with bullets and the tweezers that slowly pulled each one out of his muscles only forced the pain forward. His chest ached in a dull, steady throb and his back sparked out random pangs of pain. The pain in his back most likely occured when he slam against the concrete from the force of the bullets on his shield and later his skin. However, pain was natural to him by now as shown by the scars. By now, nearly all the bullets were out of his chest cavity save for a few that were too dangerous to remove. He had wrapped a thick bandage around his chest in an attempt to stop from bleeding and so far, it was succeeding in its job.

Zer0 looked over at Athena, who was busy cleaning her hands up from his cobalt blue blood with her water canteen, and watched her timidly. She had done his "surgery" with precision and he was amazed at how quick she had done it. Zed would've taken hours to do it, no doubt, but Athena had barely taken an hour removing the bullets. He had gotten used to her knowing what he looked like, so it wasn't a surprise by how comfortable he was around her without his chestplate on.

However, comfortable he was in her prescence, he was also restless. Restlessness was rare to him, only occuring whenever he felt the itch of adrenaline in his skin and the twitch of his trigger finger. It was a clear message: He wanted to fight. However, as much as he wanted to at the moment, he wouldn't be fighting anytime soon for the next few days. His chest was too badly damaged to sustain anymore hits, even if his shield took them. His back hurt too much to even walk, more less stand without falling over.

So, Zer0 settled with shifting around on the bed. He bounced his left knee up and down before going to his right knee. He tapped his fingers against the bed cover. He grounded his teeth in frustration as well. Frustration of not being allowed loose into battle, instead being behind the lines. He wanted a challenge.

"No."

He looked up in surprise to see Athena in front of him, eyes gazing at him with concern and annoyance. She had long-since removed her armour and scarf and was now dressed in her "night clothes". Typically it was just the red-black shirt and the dark gray weathered pants she wore. He turned his head slightly to the side, confused.

"You're too injured to go pick a fight right now."

"But-"

"I called Zed and he said it would be best if you stayed still. Lilith said that we could go back tomorrow if you were injured as badly as I said you were. You are staying motionless and that is that."

He gritted his teeth and grounded them in frustration once more, the feeling of claustophobia was beginning to set in. Taking a few deep breaths he looked up once more, challenging her gaze with his own.

"You cannot stop me/ You are only one person/ Plus, I'm really tall."

She seemed unimpressed with his answer and sat down beside him.

Suddenly the feeling of warmth surged through his torso. He looked down and saw lean arms around him and suddenly he was being pulled back, flat onto the bed. His feeling of shock only strengthened when he found himself in such a peculiar position.

His back was pressed against her chest, arms tight around his torso. However, unlike the first time she had fallen asleep holding him, they were at an incline on the bed. Zer0 was, quite literally, lying on top of Athena. Her face was buried against his left shoulder blade and her feet were hooked around his knees. He choked and looked down at the arms that were wrapped around his bandaged chest. One had slid lower onto his stomach and the other was placed over his heart.

Silence. That was it right now. Utter silence. So quiet that he could hear the distant threshers bury underground in the heart of the extraction plant. So quiet that he could hear the water rushing down the dam. So quiet that he could hear and feel Athena's breath against his skin. Goosebumps formed easily, before fading away and being replaced once more.

"Yes, I can. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. Understand? I don't want you to get hurt because I care about you. So don't be a snarky dumbass and do something regrettable."

Zer0 nodded along with her words, overwhelmed by the feeling of being held. It was just as comfortable as it was the first time, if not more. He leaned back against Athena and settled more comfortably against her. He felt the sense of security to be held by her. The feeling of arms around his chest, pinning him down. The warmth of her body that pooled with his own. The calm, soft heartbeat against his back. It was strange because she could snap his neck at any moment right now, but she didn't. And it felt _good_ to know she didn't want to. A strange guilty pleasure for him. The assassin was weakened by something as simple as a hug, but he had never truly been held before. Or hugged. Or been given a hand on his shoulder. Or given a pat on the back or head. So yes, it was a viable guilty pleasure for him.

It was generally pleasant now. The dull aching in his chest from the day's earlier events were long-since forgotten. Only replaced by the feeling of her heartbeat against his back, her arms wrapped around him to hold him in place, her breath gently tickling the skin on his shoulder.

"Why must you hold me?/ This backs up my 'cuddle' claim/ It's- uh. Strange, also."

Athena grunted and turned her head towards him. He did the same so that they were looking at each other. Her eyes were a blue-gray color. Specks of azure were hidden in them as well. Her irises were slightly ringed with red, as if she hadn't slept in a long time. Though, truthfully, it was probably a fact that she hadn't slept in hours. Her body just simply to used to long periods of activity with short rests in between, similar to his.

"Some people need to just be... held, sometimes."

As if she agreed with her own answer, she buried her face back against his shoulder blade and continued to hold him, grip tighter than what it was before.

Zer0 stared at her for a while, trying to process what she had told him.

_Some people..?_

He couldn't really think of anyone that specifically needed to be held. Most people on Pandora were grown to know that grit and ruthlessness was the only way to survive the harsh environment. He could compile a small list of people though: Tina, Tannis, Moxxi, and even Brick needed the ever-so-often hug or a comforting grasp of someone. However, to hear his name on the list from Athena was a surprise.

_...need to just be... held sometimes._

Peculiar use of words, but it had a meaning to it. If he had to guess she meant he specifically needed to be held. However, to suggest this to him was a surprise. Athena usually never voiced her thoughts in arguements. She was a woman of action, not politics. To tell him that she wanted to hold him was-

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Or even worse: it hit him like a bandit technical.

He stared, wide-eyed at her. Though he didn't notice it before, Zer0 noticed a small red tint in the tip of her ears as she hid her face against his shoulder. He processed the information over and over, just to confirm it.

_She wants to hold me. She wants to hold me. She wants to hold me. She wants to hold me. She. Wants. To. Hold. Me. Athena. The Gladiatrix. The woman who was captured by the Raiders. The woman who was almost executed. The woman who I have a "crush" on. She wants to hold me._

Zer0 cleared his throat and feigned a yawn in an attempt to sound sleepy and tired. Settling against Athena more comfortable, he leaned his head back against her shoulder. Just to verify what he was doing, he slowly turned his head and brushed his nose along the side of her neck.

"I should try to sleep/ You should as well, Athena/ You need some, also."

She lifted her head slightly to see him.

"I'll be fine. You need rest more than I do."

It didn't seem like an acceptable answer to him, so he tried once more.

"You should still try to/ You need rest more than I do/ So try and get it."

Athena gave him a challenging stare and finally accepted his offer. She loosened her arms around him and leaned her head back against the pillow.

He slowed his breathing down and began to loosen his muscles as well to feign falling asleep. It took a little while, but he felt something warm against his forehead before a long sigh of air tickled his skin as well.

She couldn't have just kissed his forehead.

Could she have?

**Author's Note: You wanted another chapter, so here you go. I, actually, plan on making this somewhere between 10-20 chapters now. This originally started out as a one-shot turned two-shot, but because of all the support I now want to try and make this a full-length story. Thanks guys, and thank you for reading as well. It's nice to know that you want more and I enjoy giving you more. See you.**

**Update 12/17: Fixed grammar.**


	6. Chapter 6

Zer0 really wished that the awkwardness that surrounded the two of them would simple evaporate into smoke. However, it seemed that fate deemed it not to be, so the embarrassing, shy, painful feeling when they reached Sanctuary seemed to stay throughout the whole trip. He never told her that he noticed the small kiss she had given him on his forehead or how he managed to interprate the whole, "Some people just need to be... held, sometimes." thing she had said. It would be better to feign staying in the oblivious dark than let her know that he was catching onto her antics.

Those antics had led them to go seperate paths after Fast Travelling into the Sanctuary Fast Travel station. Athena had decided to go near Claptrap's place to visit an old friend and that annoying robot who had become fond of calling him minion. Zer0 had, to his later disguist and somewhat gratitude, decided to go visit Moxxi's Bar. It was still quite early in the morning so there were few- to no customers in the booths or sitting upon the bar stools. This would later be a mistake on his part.

The moment upon walking in he found her sly, cat eyes watching his every step like someone was inspecting a rare mineral such as a diamond, and in Pandoran terms a piece of Eridium. He had taken a seat in front of Moxxi, but it didn't make him feel any less queasier around her. Her eyes trailed up and down his chest and face plate while he stared at the bar counter.

Upon looking down at his chest, a red '!' showed up on his visor. He had forgotten to patch up the bullet holes that the shotgun had created in his armor. All that showed through the holey leather was his white bandages that were still wrapped around his chest. Moxxi let out one of her signituare smiles and began to wipe the counter down.

"So, fun night I suppose?"

"'Fun Night'? Explain, please/ I don't understand this term/ Unless you explain."

"Don't play coy with me, sugar. I heard what Zed and Lilith said. A Bandit shotgun shell point-blank to the chest. Must've heard like hell."

He grimaced as memories of the shotgun bullets ripped through his shield and later his skin. It did hurt like hell the first few hours, but seem to dissipate during the night for a reason only known to him. Or, at least, he hoped it was a reason only known to him.

"It did."

He looked up at Moxxi who had her elbows on the counter and was leaning forward slightly as she calculated him with her eyes.

"Then there is no way you could've fixed your chest up by yourself. If I suspect, Athena-"

"But-"

"- fixed up your wounds for you."

A red '...' appeared on his face signifying that he had nothing to say. The smile on Moxxi's face only grew bigger as her eyes sparkled with a mix of entertainment and smugness.

"Tell me, Miss Moxxi/ How did you get this info?/ How'd you deduct it?"

"Oh, sugar. This pretty face is more than just a pretty face, you should know that by now. It was pretty simple."

He grimaced at his own ignorance for not sewing his armor up before getting to Sanctuary. However, the bandages had managed to block out the cold morning winds similar to how his armor and it slipped his mind at the time.

"You got shot and, with the horrible kickback of those stupid guns, you could barely move I suppose. Athena removed your chestplate and mask and had managed to pull out every bullet that had entered your system. Bandaged you up nice and tight. And, finally, you slept together. Am I correct?"

Like before, a red '!' mulled over his mask.

"Not every bullet/ You got that wrong, bartender/ Only most of them."

"You're evading the question."

"I bandaged myself/ So you got that wrong as well/ That's another one."

Moxxi let out an annoying sigh, "Still avoiding the question."

"I removed my mask/ Athena did not know how/ That was wrong as well."

"Still avoiding the question."

"It's not avoiding/ I just refuse to answer/ There's a difference."

"So you're admitting to me that you slept with Athena-"

"I never said-"

"So, you did!"

Zer0 bit his own tongue to stop a frustrated groan from forcing its way out of his throat. His own tongue was as quick as his moves and he had managed to get himself caught.

"When put that way, no/ We did not "sleep together"/ With innuendo."

"However?"

"There was one bed there/ We slept in it together/ Figure it out now."

Moxxi had a smug smirk on her face as she continued to wipe the counter, unknowingly doing it the whole time they were talking.

"Has any other dashing incidents like this happened, sugar?"

Zer0 considered his options. He could tell Moxxi and just be over with it, allowing her to tease him countless times until she grew bored. Or he could simply lie to her and let her continue to divulge into his private life as much as she saw fit to do so. Option A sounded better anyways.

"Yes."

A look of shock appeared across her face. Clearly, she did not expect that answer and she did not expect him to answer so bluntly about it.

"Oh."

Moxxi kept her gaze on him expectingly as she waited for him to answer. It took him a few moments until he finally noticed.

"Two times in the past/ The HQ and a village/ That's the only times."

"Strange places to be sleeping together at."

"I dislike that phrase/ Can you please stop using it?/ It is disturbing."

"Because you want it to be true?"

"No."

"Whatever you say, sugar."

Their arguing continued for a few more minutes in mute silence. Instead of bickering with words they bickered with gazes. Though she couldn't see his eyes it seemed she knew he was frustrated by his tapping of his fingers against the counter and his right knee bouncing up and down. Her gaze was that of smugness and intelligience. Hell, the air about her was that of smugness and intelligience, something which she rarely showed off. Finally, she let out a quiet chuckle and shook her head from side to side, clearly humored by something.

"And you say you don't love this girl."

"I never said-"

"Don't lie to me, Zer0."

Her deadpanned, serious expression almost caused him to jump. He had never seen her act more serious before in the long time he had spent with the Crimson Raiders. Her mouth was a straight line, her arms had crossed over her chest, and her eyes were that of seriousness and filled with knowledge.

"Love is... strange. It doesn't have to come from lusting over someone, you know."

"... Yes."

"However, people often interprate it into that. Love is that gut feeling of wanting to take care of someone. Wanting to hold them and to tell them that you will always be there for them. Wanting to protect them and even giving your own life for them. You get me, sugar?"

"I understand it, Moxxi."

"Okay then, riddle me this: Who have I always loved no matter what? No matter the cause, no matter the effects, no matter anything?"

He considered her question. It seemed obvious that it could be one of her many suitors that she had over the many years she had been alive. It could've even been the three husbands she had, though he specifically remembered that she had placed a hit on her second one, Mr. Shank, almost five years ago.

"Your children."

"Correct, sugar. Now do you know why I love them now?"

"You would die for them/ You'd give your life to save them/ Are I not correct?"

"See? Now isn't love a complicated thing. Take it from me: Three husbands and hundreds of partners and still I've always kept my love for my kids."

"Love is complicated."

"Now wouldn't you do the same thing for Athena?"

Zer0 began to realize where all this was going. It wasn't the fact that Moxxi was teasing him, it was the fact that Moxxi was trying to teach him that he was allowed to like Athena. He could hold Athena when she wanted it. He would put his life on the line for her. He would, countless times again, always be there for her.

"Of course, I'd always/ She'd not do the same, I think/ So just forget it."

"Because Atlas assassins were taught that love, attraction, appearance were all useless and to just ignore them?"

"Yes?"

Moxxi chuckled slightly as his statement, oblivious how wrong he was.

"Sugar, do you know why she left- No, destroyed Atlas?"

"No."

"They tricked her into killing her sister, Jess. She was so angry and bitter that she had lost one of the only two people in her life that she had loved and she decided that that one death was enough to cause the murder of hundreds of thousands."

"Oh."

"She didn't care about that stupid code because she broke it. Now, tell me this: Do you think she still follows the same code now?"

"No."

"Exactly, so explain to me why she can't have the same feelings for you."

He began to think of all the times that she had shown "feelings" for him. How she opened up to him about her life and allowed to him to know the secret behind her scarf and tattoo. She had allowed him to hold her when she was having an emotional breakdown and had even shed some layers of herself to exhibit a feeling of trust to him. Of course it didn't happen all of a sudden and had instead taken quite a while to get these feelings to become apparent to him. However, he did notice. Noticed how she kissed his forehead during the previous night that he had gotten injured with a shotgun shell. Noticed how she had specifically said that she wanted to hold him, no one else.

"I... cannot."

Moxxi gave him a knowing smile and leaned over the counter to grab his balled hands. He had allowed it and looked up at her to see her eyes filled with a motherly warmth.

"Think it over then."

Zer0 gave her a simple nod and began to think it over. So, he thought it over for the whole Pandoran day and into most of the Pandoran night in complete silence and with motionless moves.

**Author's Note: I probably won't update this story at all next week/the week after that. If I do then just imagine it as a New Year's surprise type of deal. Also: if you have any ideas for chapters send them to me. I do not mind having a little push forward and would greatly appreciate it as well. Thanks for reading and happy holidays.**

**Update 12/20: Fixed grammar mistakes and added a few little details in.**


	7. Chapter 7

Out of all the impulsive things that Zer0 had done in his career as an assassin, deciding to instantly pair up with Athena in a single-bed room was perhaps one of his most rash decisions. Maybe it was coming into terms that he was indeed growing and accepting his feelings for this woman, or maybe it was his evolving protective nature for her that shouted that he had to stay by her side at all cost. Either way, it was one that got noticed by her almost instantly to his dismay and embarrassment. At a later time the next day, he would make an excuse, but for now he was instead listening to her jostle around on the bed as she fought to either get comfortable or stay awake.

It didn't seem obvious at the time in Sanctuary that the Bloodshots would become a serious problem. They had a floating city so that no one, except for Hyperion and the occasional bandit buzzards that rarely reached the Highlands from the Dust, could harm them. However, Lilith wanted to make sure that the bandits that had tried many, many times to take over Sanctuary had to be dealt with immediately. Thankfully each time they failed and now it seemed that they had to be taken out for good.

As Lilith had put it at the briefing, "It'd be one less bandit clan Pandora has to worry about."

So it seemed obvious that a small group of Vault Hunters were to be sent into the old Bloodshot Dam to kill them all. Sanctuary could not afford to send Crimson Raiders out of the city for a job that they could handle. With his chest wound healed up, Zer0 had immediately volunteered and had been able to take a part in the annihilation of the bandits. Axton, Gaige, Maya, and Salvador had also decided to join in as well. However, what shocked the whole group is that Lilith had, once again to Zer0's suspicion, decided that Athena would join them as well.

By the time they had reached the Bloodshot Stronghold, it was already the middle of the Pandoran night cycle so they had decided to rest in the Happy Pig Motel nearby. The motel had only three usable rooms in the whole establishment, so Axton and Salvador had taken a room and Maya and Gaige had taken the other. As with, probably, all the other rooms there was a single bed in it. And so this is where the two of them rested now.

He rested back-to-back with her on the bed, tottering on the edge as he tried to give her as much room as he possible could. He faced the wall while Athena faced the door and window of the motel room. Zer0 almost definitely would not be sleeping tonight as he feared that he would not be able to wake up before Axton did and get caught without his mask on. He, at first, expected Athena would pass the night away by sleeping. However it seemed not to be the case as she moved around on her side of the bed.

Zer0 could feel her shifting weight from the mattress dipping back and forth. She let out huffs of frustration as she tried to jostle herself awake to try and keep sleep from taking her. Sometimes, he could even feel her sitting up in her position only to fall back down a few minutes later. He began to expect that she was nervous about taking over the Bloodshot Stronghold and could simply not sleep in the case of it.

"What's wrong Athena?/ Why can you not fall asleep?/ Something the matter?"

Athena let out a frustrated sigh and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, elbows on her knees as she faced the door. Zer0 sat up and watched her from his peripheral vision. She seemed distracted and uncomfortable, though that could be the fact that she was wearing her armor whilst previously resting in the bed.

"I just... I just don't like knowing that we're sleeping next to a bandit stronghold. That's all. It unsettles me."

"Understandable/ However, still try and sleep/ Rest will be needed."

"You make it sound easy, but it's not. What if one of the Bloodshots comes and finds us here, sleeping? He would have an easy target to take out."

_So that's what is wrong/ Interesting phobia/ Can I do something?_

Zer0 scanned the room, trying to find ways to block Athena's nervousness of the bandit stronghold that they were, currently, neighbors with. Multiple scenarios ran through his head. While he highly doubted that bandit would be awake at this point and even try to leave the fortified base that they had set up outside the entrance to the dam, he could validate Athena's nervousness and overall sense of insecurity. The Happy Pig Motel wasn't exactly the most guarded place in Three Horns and was, to an extent, possibly the least guarded. Letting his thoughts run free, his gaze drifted across the dimly lit room until it landed upon the door and the window.

_One, I lock the door/ Two, I close the window's blinds/ That should be enough._

With a small, almost non-existent nod of his head, Zer0 went over and turned the lock, producing a small click of it securing itself in place. With that completed, he slid the chain lock into place as well to solidify that the door was now somewhat safe and that no one could get easily anymore. Now they would have to at least break the door to get inside the room, something of which would wake Athena up and would put him on instant alertness. Turning to face the window, he reached up and pulled the blinds down causing the room to go dark. Though he couldn't see them himself, he was certain that his eyes had changed from a snow white to an ivory color.

While the room was darker than what it had been before, he could still clearly see Athena. She seemed slightly more relaxed than before and had even go as far as to remove her scarf and nearly all the pieces of her armor on the nightstand beside her while he worked on locking the door and pulling the blinds down. However, she still seemed slightly tensed. Something of which Zer0 sought to fix.

He sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder causing Athena to look up at him.

"Lay facing the wall/ I wish to help let you sleep/ Trust me, Athena."

"Um... okay?"

It took some effort and a mixture of clumsy movements on Athena's part before she was finally in the center of the bed with her back turned to the door and her eyes scanning the wall. With renewed courage and a slight sense of embarrassment, Zer0 followed her movements.

As Zer0 had expected, she tensed up as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back closer to his chest. She also let out a choking sound as he, with some struggle and very little cooperation from her, put his arm underneath her head so that it would substitute as a pillow. Then it was the familiar silence that followed whenever something to this degree happened.

Of course it was familiar and he was accustomed to it. It had already happened dozens of times before this so it had no case of being foreign to him and, to a hopeful degree, her. With the added bonus of his helmet being off he allowed himself to gentle place his nose against her head and breathed softly.

_Cinnamon? How strange/ I did not expect this scent/ I thought about blood._

However, he could not complain. It had a pleasant smell to it and had a calming effect on him. It, ironically as he thought about it, also contrasted her personality a lot. While cinnamon was a sweet and savoury spice and sought by many, Athena was dangerous, guarded her emotions well, and sought to be alone much of the time whenever someone tried to make contact with her. So, Zer0 took his time in smelling her sweet scent as he expected it would last only for little while before he would wake up again and have to kill more people.

"Um... Zer0?"

He barely remembered that she was there for a moment.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you- uh. Holding me?"

"I'll take the first blow/ If an intruder comes here/ So you don't get hurt."

"I see."

The silence fell over them again letting him resume him previous intention of catching her scent. It was an enjoyable, nice change after smelling gunpowder, blood, and red-hot metal for months. Not for the first time, Zer0 smiled while holding her as he buried his nose into her black-blue locks in an attempt to drown out the other uninteresting, unpleasant odors in the room.

He let out a small chuckle and rolled his shoulders in an attempt to stop any kinks from forming. Upon hearing his back crack and pop a few times, he rested more comfortably against the mattress and brought her closer to further make his point with his next statement.

"I guess some people just need to be held, sometimes."

"O-Oh."

He smirked and once again buried his face into her hair.

"Sleep now, Athena/ I'll make sure nothing harms you/ I can promise that."

"Okay, f-fine."

Zer0 could faintly hear the sounds of Gaige animately talking to Maya about some project she was working on along with Axton and Salvador playing cards through the walls. However, as of right now he didn't give much of a care. Hell, he couldn't really even think of why they came to Three Horns anymore.

**Author's Note: Welcome to 2015 guys! This is a slightly shorter chapter than the other ones, sorry. However, I hope you enjoyed reading it. I'm still taking suggestions for what the next chapters should be as it would be a nice help for me. For reference, I plan on this story being specifically centered in the perspective of Zer0. So, sorry if you were hoping there to be an Athena chapter. Anyways, thank you for reading and for all the support. Let's hope for a good year.**

**Update 1/2: Fixed grammatical mistakes.**


	8. Chapter 8

The crack of the metal against metal echoed across the, now, silent streets. It had become common to hear the two of them sparring at such random hours during the day and, sometimes, night. Their daily sparrings had slowly formed a rivalry between the two of them. Who would beat the other in a round of combat between swords and who would beat the other in a round of combat between punches and kicks. While the latter was less preferable to the both of them with how much accidental strength was put into each blow, the first was what they had grown accustomed to with their daily sessions that put bruises on the both of them, whether it be from accidental or purposeful blows, their skin had the usual sheen of sweat from the sun and from the exercise that was exerted on their muscles at the end of each sparring. Then, their rivalry would stop for quite a bit while they caught their breath until it started again with the offer of going another round from one of them.

This time, however, it seemed this rivalry of blades between the two of them was not in Zer0's favor. His usual calm, focused demeanor was slowly being distracted by well... her. He would never admit this out loud, not even to Moxxi if she asked. It was just deemed too much of an embarrassing thing to him to admit that the assassin was being beaten by the ex-assassin by being distracted by her.

The blows of the flat of her blade, Xiphos, were slowly forming bruises against his sides as he didn't notice her body manuevering to place the "killing blow". His forearms and the bends of his elbows were aching as he was barely putting enough effort in blocking her attacks as the metal vibrations of her hitting his sword were sent up his arm with each effortless attack. Then, there were the times when she straight up sent a slice at his mask, giving him a new nick against the, already scraped, glass. He was simply not putting enough effort in as she was and it was costing him dearly. Both with his physical and psychological state.

As much as he tried to, he couldn't stop noticing the small things about Athena while they sparred. How she gritted her teeth between heavy strikes against him as she tried to output as much force as possible. Her hands and arm muscles would tighten as she gave and received blows. Her chest heaved up and down after each session as she caught her breath after using him as a sparring dummy as he hopelessly noticed all these tiny, insignificant details. Then there were her eyes. How they slightly clouded over with worry and suspicion as she won each round after the first ten, or so, wins of her part. She was getting suspicious and had good reason why.

_You know, sugar. When you like, or love, someone you start to notice all the little things that they do. Then you just love them even more for those._

Echoing Moxxi's words through his ears from the last talk they had, Zer0 was seriously beginning to wonder just how much Moxxi knew about his current predicament. It was true. He was truly noticing all the small things about Athena while they sparred. He almost ridiculed himself at first for his mind wondering to them as if he couldn't keep her out of his thoughts. Then he found himself wistfully wanting to notice more, but then found himself being annoyed by thinking those thoughts. Eventually, he just gave into them as shown by how he was getting distracted in the middle of another round.

Zer0 didn't even have to feel the flat of the blade against his left side to know that he had lost yet again. He had seen her twist her wrist just as the last moment so, that instead of hitting his thigh, she hit his side. It felt like someone had thrown a rock at him in the middle of the cold season of Pandora. However, it didn't hurt as much as it did earlier when her blows would usually knock the wind out of him, leaving him falling to the ground on his knees with his arms wrapped around his chest as he struggled to get air into his lungs. By now, Zer0 wasn't certain if Athena was just getting tired from the constant beatings that were forced upon him or was simply feeling sorry for him so she tried to make each loss for him less painful than the last. Either way, his body was almost certainly bruised up by now and even possible had spots where he was bleeding from the constant abuse of his skin in that area. This had been his 14th loss in a row now.

He put a hand gently against his side as he thought he felt the skin break. Getting bandages would be a priority later once they had decided to quit once night had fallen. It was getting close to that point now, the Pandoran sun was just dipping below the horizon giving way to a much more clear view of the Helios space station and the only Pandoran satellite, Elpis.

They had been sparring for what? Four, five hours now?

It was beginning to take a toll on him as his arms and legs felt like jelly. Something he hadn't felt in quite a while so it was unnatural to him. Athena didn't seem any better as she was out of breath and a visible amount of sweat was on her forehead and neck as she raised her arms above her head to not constrict oxygen from getting into her lungs.

"You're distracted." she said, not turning to face him.

It didn't shock Zer0 when he heard this. He knew that she had noticed a long time before this point and had already come up with an excuse to save himself of the embarrassment of forming one of the spot.

"I'm fine, Athena/ Just over-thinking some things/ Try not to worry."

She nodded and doubled over with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Small droplets of sweat formed on her nose and dropped to the shadowed pavement in front of Scooter's garage as she did this. Her sides heaved and eventually breathed at a steady pace as she got into steady breathing rhythm. Eventually her hands curled into fists as she closed her eyes and stood straight up with her back, cracking and popping along the way. Finally, she put her hands on her sides and looked at him.

_Moxxi was correct/ I am seeing the small things/ Not surprising, though._

"Again?"

Zer0 was shaken from his thoughts as Athena grasped the sword strapped to her back with a questioning look in her eyes and in her tone of voice. With a simple nod of his head, they set off with another round of sparring.

Of course like all the other times, Zer0 was immediately entranced by the way she moved her body to adapt to each blow he threw at her. Her feet would move to another position almost subconsciously and her hand would either soften or tighten on the grip almost instinctively. Then when she attacked, her sides and hips would twist as she gave each heavy hit. Her shoulder blades visibly shown under her shirt as she stretched out her arm to try and get the "killing blow" on him. He was mesmerized by how she fought and it would prove to be his downfall.

When he felt the twist of the grip of his blade, he knew that he had missed something important that she had done. Soon it fell out of his hand and clattered to the pavement. This did not stop Athena as she rushed forward and slammed him against the pavement with her looming over the top of him. Her left forearm rested timidly across his neck as she pushed down slightly with a bit of force to imply that she was choking him. That was it. That was the "killing blow" that ended each round of sparring they had. He had lost again.

"Fifteen times in a row. Are you sure you're okay?"

She swung her leg to the side and sat, criss-cross, on the pavement next to him with her sword laying horizontally on her lap. He brought an unsteady hand up to his neck where her forearm had previously been and gently rubbed it. While he wouldn't feel her choking him, he could certainly imagine what what it _would_ feel like to be choked by her.

"I'm fine."

"Are you positive?"

Was he? He couldn't be certain how to answer this without lying. So he did.

"Yes."

She nodded her head up and down, not bothering to push the subject further than it already was.

"If you're sure."

Athena turned around to look behind her at the setting sun while Zer0 got up, still rubbing his throat, and sat beside her.

"I think we should stop for today. It'll get dark soon."

"Of course."

A few minutes passed as they motionlessly sat there. No words were spoken, though they were accustomed to this by now. The absence of a stable amount of verbal actions between them. Zer0 had once heard a famous saying that said, "Actions speak louder than words." and it certainly described the two of them in this case. Just as Athena was, he certainly did not have a way with words either. However, he liked it that. Being shadowed in mystery with multiple theories as to who, or what, he was was certainly more interesting than coming outright and telling everyone everything. It was more entertaining that way.

Noticing a movement out of the corner of his eye, he looked down to see Athena pick up a flat piece of concrete from the street. Inspecting it carefully, she finally hummed in agreement and put flattest side of it against the flat part of Xiphos. Taking in consideration what she was doing, Zer0 expected that she was going to start sharpening her sword. While he had never learned how to sharp his sword, though he would never admit it because of his own personal pride, he always yearned how to learn. So he began to watch as Athena brought the rock close to the edge of Xiphos and slowly moved up and down the blade.

While he had seen her sharpen her sword from a distance, Zer0 had never seen it done up close. It was almost mesmerizing to watch it be done. Her hand would put a slight bit of force done when it was close to the point of the blade. She went all the way down to the rain guard of Xiphos before repeating the process, slowly putting more and more force onto the red-tinted metal.

Eventually, Zer0 wanted to try it out. While it seemed obvious that he had no clue what he was doing, he hoped visual learning from how Athena was doing it would give him enough experience to try it. Taking his sword, that had digistructed at his side after it fell out of his hands, he picked up a flattish rock and considered where to start. Looking back over at Athena, who seemed too pre-occupied by her work, he finally started at the point and began to work his way down slowly. It seemed obvious that he had no idea what he was doing, but he was just testing to see if he could.

Slowly, he put a bit of force after reaching the small cross-guard that was above the grip and returning back up at the point of the blade. Looking over at Athena, he noticed that she had flipped Xiphos over and was now working on sharpening the other side. Looking down at his own handiwork, Zer0 noticed that nothing had changed since he started. He grumbled noiselessly under his breath and continued his process.

"You're doing it wrong."

Looking up at Athena, Zer0 noticed that she was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"Do you know how to sharpen a sword?"

"No, I wasn't taught/ I wish I did, however/ Can you teach me, please?"

"Uh, sure. I guess."

She scooted closer until their knees were touching and reached over to pick up his blade.

"Now, you're katana isn't similar to Xiphos. What you want to do is..."

Now, not paying attention was really starting to upset him. The setting sun slightly reflected against her eyes as the orange-red mixed in with her blue-gray eyes. Her eyes lit up as she spoke as well. She had much interest in the subject that he was subconsciously listening to as she talked about it. Her fingers went up and down both edges of the sword as she flipped it over to the other side. Her head bobbed up and down as she spoke as she looked up at him and down at the sword in her lap.

_Beautiful._

Instead of berating himself, as he previously used to, he agreed with his thoughts. It was beautiful to see her like this. _She_ was beautiful.

"-er0? Zer0? Recount to me what I just said."

"You need to start slow/ Put gentle force at the point/ Little at the edge."

"Good. Should I do that constantly?"

"Apply force slowly/ If not, the blade might get dents/ That would not be nice."

"And why should I find the flattest rock to use?"

"Flattest rocks are best/ Bumpy ones create scratches/ Plus, they can make chips."

"Good. It seems you understand what should do."

"Thank you."

Athena nodded and handed him her rock, that she was previously using, and his sword. She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and got up, slinging Xiphos over her back whilst doing so. She turned and began to walk away, looking over her shoulder for one last call to him.

"You just need to practice it and you'll get it in no time."

Practice... right. Zer0 carefully brought the flat rock against the edge of his katana and began to recall Athena's instruction and tips on how to sharpen his sword.

It helped, at least.

**Author's Note: I felt bad for the last chapter being so short, so I made this one long. This is now the second largest chapter so far in this story. Credit goes to CGAdam (author of the _The space between_ fanfiction that has recently been updated, so go check that out) for giving me the idea for what this chapter should be. So thank you sir/ma'am for that. As always, thank you so much for reading. I still can't believe that this story got so popular. So thank you for reading and see you next chapter.**

**Update 1/13: Fixed grammar mistakes, typos, and sentence structure. Also, added in detail.**


	9. Chapter 9

Surprisingly, she didn't weigh as much as he had anticipated when he first picked up her in his arms and carried her out of Zed's clinic and to his apartment.

While he wasn't expecting Athena to weigh as much as Brick, Salvador, or Krieg, he wasn't expecting her to be equivalent to Gaige's weight either, or maybe even less than that. Her overall short height probably factored into why her weight was so low. If Zer0 had to give his personal opinion on it, she seemed underweight for someone her age and her height.

Shifting her weight in his arms, he opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside. Kicking the door shut behind him, he looked around at the small place that he called home while living in Sanctuary. It wasn't luxurious, if not the complete opposite. It had a single bed placed against the left wall and a table against the other. Said table had magazines of sniper rounds, pistol bullets, and grenades scattered everywhere. A refrigerator resided close nearby that he stocked every few weeks. Natural light illuminated the room from the only, slightly cracked and dirty, window. No it was not luxurious, but something that he fondly called home.

Walking over to the bed against the wall, Zer0 gently laid Athena down on top of the covers. He couldn't tell if she was genuinely asleep or just in a fever-induced haze. She turned her back away from him and faced the wall. Her shoulder blades were visible under the black tank top that she wore as they moved slightly up and down from her deep breaths.

Walking over to the table, he quickly piled some of the discarded magazines of pistol and sniper rounds on top of one another to create room. It didn't take very long for him to remove his mask and chestplate. The first breath of air afterwards shocked his throat and lungs as he adjusted to the fresh air. Finally, he relaxed and leaned back against the wall to take in his familiar surroundings.

His table would need to be cleared off at a later time that week as it was nearly overflowing. While he could do it right now, he decided against it as he feared it would disturb the resting occupant. His fridge would also need to be skimmed over to see if anything was spoilt or close to it. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Zer0 let out a small sigh and closed his eyes.

Upon hearing the creak of the bed across the room, he opened his eyes and watched as Athena laid on her stomach and lazily hung her arm off the bed. Her cheeks were slightly red from fever and a sheen of sweat coated her forehead and neck.

Closing his eyes again, he hung his head down until his chin hit his collarbone. The sickness that had infected the floating city had been unexpected and was something they were unprepared for. While the cure was to simply rest and to drink many fluids, it had not been suggested or put into practice until nearly three-fourths of the citizens had been infected with it. Those who didn't have the disease were those had built-up an immunity against Pandoran diseases. Salvador was of course an example as he had been born on the planet and hence had a strong enough immune system to fight against it.

Athena had a strong immune system against the disease as shown when she carried citizens inside the clinic hourly across her shoulders. It wasn't until the next day that she started showing signs of being infected, though this did not deter her. Only when nearly all of Sanctuary's citizens who had been infected were in the clinic did she finally get herself checked out. When it was concluded that she did have the virus, she decided against staying in Zed's clinic with all the other people who still had very little reason to still trust her. While it was slightly idiotic to her that the reason for it was her past ties with the Crimson Lance, she respected their wishes and left. So, Zer0 had carried her to his apartment to allow her to sleep her fever off. It made him feel safer knowing that he could keep an eye on her while she slept.

Looking back at it now, he wasn't even surprised at his actions anymore. He knew that he was in too deep for his own good. Honestly, he just accepted it now, instead of constantly trying to deny it like he used to.

Clearing his throat he looked back up at Athena and found himself entranced by her, as he was a lot of the time now. Her fingertips scraped against the floor and her face was half-buried in the only pillow on the bed. Her hair was either fanned across her face and neck or stuck to the sweat on her forehead. Her deep breaths raised her back slightly with each inhale and lowered again with each exhale. Her usual scowled expression now showed a lack of emotion whilst she slept.

Remembering something that Zed had given him, Zer0 reached into one of the pockets stitched to the sides of his pants. After fumbling around for a bit, he managed to pull out a slightly crumpled piece of paper.

_Influenza_

Raising an eyebrow at the title, he began to quickly skim over the hastily scrawled words.

_Symptoms include: fever, sore throat, muscle and body aches, headaches, fatigue, and coughing._

Skeptically, Zer0 looked over at the woman who rested on his bed. It was true that she did have a fever and had severe case of fatigue when he found her. However, she carefully hid pain, both psychologically and physically, so he couldn't tell if she actually had a sore throat or muscle and body aches. Knowing that she would have coughed already, he mentally crossed that off the list as well. Looking back down at the sheet of paper, he continued to read.

_Causes: Unknown._

He rolled his eyes at that section and began to read on.

_People infected are suggested to stay in bed and keep a constant supply of fluids on hand. NOT ALCOHOL._

Zer0 couldn't help it, he snickered as he read the last part. Nearly everyone in Sanctuary was a regular drinker so it had to be mentioned to not drink any alcoholic beverages while sick. Considering his options, he walked over to the fridge and brought out a clean bottle of water. As he slowly walked over to the bedside, he continued to scan the paper for any other information that could be helpful.

_The disease should clear from the body in a day or two. Pandoran time. If not, please contact Dr. Zed at-_

Zer0 stopped reading and crumpled the paper into a ball. Reaching the bedside, he sat down and leaned against the metal frame. He looked over at Athena's arm hanging off the edge, and he gently grabbed it and placed it at her side. Placing the bottle down, he leaned his head back against the bed and let out a deep, long sigh. Tucking the ball back into his pocket, he rested his arms behind his head and let his body go limp as he allowed exhaustion to flood over his tired limbs.

After three or four minutes he heard a groan come from behind him and the bed frame squeaked. Opening his eyes he turned his head to the side, and he found Athena was now laying on the mattress flat on her back. The palms of her hands covered her eyes as she bit the inside of her cheek and struggled to go back to sleep.

"Have trouble sleeping?"

Athena didn't say anything, but she nodded and let her arms drop back down to her sides. She lifted herself up on her elbows.

"Get under the covers, then."

"What would that solve?" she asked, her words barely came out in a whisper.

"It'll make you warm."

If Zer0 was truthful with himself, he had no clue how to deal with sickness. Illnesses that normally infected humans, stomach bugs, fatigue, and colds; never affected him. When he did research about it, he found that his body temperature was simply too high for it to be affected by human diseases. He had immunity against viruses, cancers, colds, cramps, acne. Anything really.

"Being warm doesn't solve everything, Zer0."

"Wouldn't hurt to try, though."

"Fine," Athena groaned as she began to get up. "I'll take your word for it."

It took quite a bit of struggling to pull the covers from underneath her. After a moment she managed to get under the blankets and settled down in the bed, but she still seemed wide awake as she stared at the ceiling. One hand rested on her abdomen while the other was behind her head.

"Does it help?"

"It makes things a bit more comfortable… Yes, it helps some."

Zer0 nodded and stared down at his lap. He began to gently rub the palm of his left hand with his right thumb to pass the time. By now, the sun had slightly dipped over the rooftops causing half the room to have light while the other half was in darkness. Trying to find ways to distract himself, he began to look for something to do. Looking down at the water bottle, he picked it up and began to unscrew the cap.

"Hey, are you thirsty?/ I have a water bottle/ If you want a drink."

Instead of receiving an answer, he heard quiet. Thinking that Athena had fallen back asleep while he played with his hands, Zer0 began to screw the cap back on. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he sat straight up. His hand twitched instinctively towards his belt as he felt warm skin against his own.

"Yes, please."

Mechanically, he unscrewed the cap and handed it over his shoulder. Feeling her fingers unintentionally brush against his sent a warm, familiar feeling across the back of his shoulders and his neck. Hearing the sounds of her sitting up in bed, he kept his head low as he continued to play with his hands while she drank. The bottle was soon placed next to him, half-full now, with an unsteady hand. The bed creaked again as she laid back down.

Zer0 struggled to swallow the spit in his mouth. Her hand didn't feel soft like he had often heard from some of the more pervacious denizens of Sanctuary. Instead, it was rough and cracked from years of brutal physical activity. Having hands like that didn't happen overnight. It took years and years of constant abuse in order to have skin as tough as that. Thinking about it, he vaguely remembered Tannis touching on how assassins of the Crimson Lance were put through constant physical training. That would explain it.

Looking back over his shoulder again, Zer0 found that Athena had turned her back to him and was now facing the wall once more. From what little light was now left in the room, he could see beads of sweat covering her shoulders and the back of her neck. She was, quite literally, sweating the fever out of her body. Her breathing seemed a bit more ragged than it had been previously. Her sides heaved up and down in a way that looked almost painful. It looked as if she was forcing herself to breath now. One arm was tucked under the pillow as she propped her head up slightly and the other laid across her abdomen. Zer0 turned his head slightly to the side, curious.

"Comfortable?"

A slight shrug came from her as she didn't turn to face him.

"Trying to become."

"You have fun, then."

Silence dropped over the both of them as Zer0 leaned his head back against the bed frame again, and happily took in the quiet. There had barely been a moment of silence in the past few days as people came in and out of the clinic. Sitting down was a privilege as well, due to it being the first time in days he had been able to stop and rest for more than five minutes at a time. The serenity was bliss to him.

Feeling drowsiness begin to drown out his senses, he let his head fall to his shoulder. It took a moment of maneuvering before he found a comfortable sitting position where he could easily sleep in. Letting out a long, calm sigh he closed his eyes.

The feeling of a hand on his shoulder didn't stir him back awake. Neither did reaching up and grabbing it with his own . He began to groggily map out the rough, thick skin in his head. He squeezed it gently. Zer0 didn't know if he imagined the hand squeezing back, but he let out a small smile nonetheless.

**Author's Note: Beta-read by Foryewhoartliterate. Thank you for reading.**


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